With the implementation of the food safety and standards act and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, actively working towards providing safe food to the citizens of our country, a previously unregulated segment of foods has now come under the regulator’s scanner.
The food safety and standards act clearly lays out the regulations and requirements pertaining to the quality of a large number of common food products like fruits and vegetables, grains and cereals, milk and milk products and biscuits et cetera.
These products may be referred to as standard foods and do not require specific approval for manufacture or sale from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.
Any licensed food business operator can produce and sell these products as long as he complies with the standards for the product prescribed under the act and rules.
All other food products which have been manufactured using ingredients and additives for which there are no guidelines issued under the food safety and standards act, need to be verified and approved by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India and only after product approval can they be put on the market for sale and consumption. This category of products is known as proprietary foods.
It is important to mention at this time that traditional and ethnic foods like bhujia, spiced and fried dals, halwa, ladoo etc. do not require product approval, even though specific standards for these products are not provided under the act. However, they may only contain food additives which are permitted under the act.
All manufacturers and importers of novel foods, Dietary supplements, nutraceuticals, health supplements, bodybuilding weight gain supplements and any other kind of proprietary food are required to apply for product approval before the commencement of fracture or sale of these products.
As part of the application for product approval of a proprietary food, the food business operators are required to submit a certificate of analysis from a NABL accredited and FSSAI recognized laboratory confirming the label claims like Nutritional Values.
Food business operators are also required to submit complete data of shelf life studies which have been conducted to establish the product shelf life and clearly demonstrate that the product shall remain stable till its expiry date mentioned on the product label.
Our laboratory has been supporting the dietary supplement and nutraceutical industry since 1990 and we are accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) and approved by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
A number of our clients have successfully received a NOC or product approvals based on the certificate of analysis and stability studies conducted by our laboratory. We can also help you confirming compliance with labeling requirements and with preparing your application.
Please feel free to contact us for testing of your products and for the conduct of shelf life studies using the quick query form on the right or call us now on +91-11-45754575.
